Trump attacks Muslim father’s speech at Democratic convention

The Muslim parents of a soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2004, Ghazala and Khizr Khan, are targets of Donald Trump, since their appearance at the Democratic National Convention last week. Associated Press/J. Scott Applewhite

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — With 100 days left before the fall election, Hillary Clinton’s campaign bus wound its way through Donald Trump’s America as the Republican nominee picked a new fight with the bereaved father of a Muslim Army captain.

In a well-received Democratic convention speech, Muslim lawyer Khizr Khan said Trump has “sacrificed nothing and no one” for his country. Trump disputed that Saturday, saying he’d given up a lot for his businesses.

“I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures,” he said, in an interview with ABC’s “This Week.”

He added: “Sure those are sacrifices.”

Khan gave a moving tribute to their son, Humayun, who posthumously received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart after he was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004.

Trump also reiterated his criticism of Khan’s wife, Ghazala, who stood silently on stage, wearing a headscarf. “If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.”

Ghazala Khan has said she didn’t speak because she’s still overwhelmed by her grief and can’t even look at photos of her son without crying. Trump’s comments sparked immediate outrage on social media, both for attacking a mourning mother and because many considered them racist and anti-Muslim.

Post-convention it has become clear the presidential race will be fought in the struggling manufacturing towns, cities and rural farming communities of the Rust Belt, as Clinton used the days following her convention to try and win back some of the white working class voters that once made up a key piece of the Democratic Party’s electoral coalition. Trump’s anti-immigrant, anti-diversity, anti-trade message has appealed to those voters, who feel frustrated with an economic recovery that’s largely left them behind.

On Saturday, Clinton made stops in rural Western Pennsylvania, a largely white part of the swing state that traditionally votes Republican.

Clinton is playing up economic opportunity, diversity and national security. Democrats hammered home those themes last week with an array of politicians, celebrities, gun-violence victims, law enforcement officers and activists of all races and sexual orientation. Their goal is to turn out the coalition of minority, female and young voters that twice elected Obama while blunting some of the expected losses among the white men drawn to Trump’s message.

Trump has made plans to visit some of the same areas Clinton is campaigning in during her three-day bus tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania, scheduling Monday stops in Columbus and Cleveland.

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notspot

What a thin skinned, blowhard. the Donald is a buffoon. the Donald with every utterance proves the he is unfit to be President. the Donald is a clear and present threat to this country and this world.

gadfly371

Spot, you’ve become quite redundant. Got anything else?

Clancularius

Trump’s campaign is gonna be yuuge! And by “yuuge”, I mean a large, disrespectful, unqualified, dumpster fire of attacks and ridiculous behavior. He is the least qualified candidate to ever run for this office. He has no plans or meaningful policies, so he will attack, attack, attack.

gm

Over to you, Senator Colllins and Representative Poliquin for your courageous and insightful reactions.

Sweegert

Yes, let’s hear those endorsements . . . . .???

wilgus

Every day brings a new low in this guy’s behavior. At long last, Mr. Trump, have you no sense of decency left?

highpeaksman

He takes his cues directly from lepage’s playbook. No morals, uncivil, crass,
whatever it takes to appeal to the uneducated. The uneducated is now the republican base.

Jason Coombs

So the attendees who booed and chanted before turning their backs on Medal of Honor recipients are what?

Richard Joyce

Those attendees aren’t running for President. There are classless delegates in both parties, but we don’t need one in the Presidency

Sweegert

Come on Jason–you can do better that that. How many Medal of Honor recipients spoke at the Republican convention? Zero.

JFK

Great point Jason Coombs

ritchie

I need to find a safe space now, due to your micro aggression’s, or was it macro aggression?????

Hans Bryant

Nope. Apparently not.

xbonefish

I think it’s great that we have a candidate who doesn’t respect anyone or anything, and doesn’t care who he offends.

wilgus

You’re right–he respects nothing outside himself. As one writer puts it, he’s morally untethered. He has no principles at all–other than to toot his own horn. Is this what you are looking for in a president?

gadfly371

No, but what Hillary offers is equally repugnant!

quidneck

Another example of what this vile human being is really like.

Fred_C_Dobbs

Khan was tapped by Democrats to attack and insult Donald Trump with his speech. Khan has no right to question the “sacrifices” anyone else in this country has made. Actually, in this country, he does have that right. In his own country his head would be cut off for saying (or even believing) the wrong thing. Perhaps Khan should try appreciating living here without clinging to victim status to draw sympathy. Shame on the Democrat party for using Khan for revenge after the rest of their convention turned out so stewpid.

wilgus

You’re as bad as Trump! Low class. What you are saying doesn’t reflect well on you at all.

Bill

The high point of the best convention. OK, Fred, here we go: I don’t want to have to say this again, so please open your decrepit, useless mind and listen up. (By the way, your photo on your comments makes you look like a, what is the word I’m looking for? Oh, yeah – HATER!) Trump = scum bag = non-presidential = loser. Now, I look forward to you conceding to the might of Hillary Clinton on Nov. 9. (And, no, I am not a hater, too – I just pity you. Hopefully, after Clinton’s victory, you will employee one of the many guns I am sure you own, and rid the world of the second most vile man in history, after Trump. Goodbye, Fred. Signing off now. Please don’t waste valuable band-width with your pathetic reply. Nobody likes you).

Fred_C_Dobbs

If you know what’s good for you, you won’t monkey around with Fred C. Dobbs. Word on the street it, the DNC was pretty lackluster, and had a hard time developing much “unity” considering the candidate is quite flawed for being the best qualified ever to run for President. (lol) crookked hillerie has only one campaign strategy – pander to minority and victim groups, and label the opponent woman hater. Sadly, because of a largely low-information electorate, the strategy may work. But what’s your excuse? Ever tried urinating while standing?

Bill

I get it, now, Fred! You’re spoofing! You’re pretending to be an ignorant red neck, and, in the process, pulling off a hell of an acting job. Well done, my friend. Keep up the good work; in this day and age, we need all the laughs we can get. Thank you.

gadfly371

Trouble is Billy-boy, you aren’t acting. So the garbage you sling is a true indicator of the state of your mind!

gadfly371

Decrepit and useless, Bill? No one need read any further.

Sweegert

Come on, Fred. You are a better person than that.

gadfly371

No , Fred is right! Don’t attack his worth as a person for saying what he believes because you disagree.Aren’t you better than that?

Hans Bryant

“In his own country…”? Mr. Khan is a U.S. citizen. The United States IS his “own country”.

gadfly371

It might be his adopted country!

Hans Bryant

The U.S. is Mr. Kahn’s adopted country. He is a United States citizen. Your point is?

Sweegert

As David Brooks writes in the July 29 New York Times, Donald Trump “is a morally untethered, spiritually vacuous man who appears haunted by
multiple personality disorders.”

Boy are we seeing it. And can anyone imagine four years of this?

tet1953

It wouldn’t be four years of “this”. It would be something far, far worse because he would have the power of the Oval Office.

Sweegert

Point well taken.

BarneysFife

There used to be a day when the GOP honored and respected our military and those who served and sacrificed. Donald Trump with his disgusting comments about this families and their ultimate sacrifice is repulsive. If you support him then do us all a favor and start scraping some of those bumper stickers off your trucks. The Semper Fi logos do not apply anymore.

SPLAX

Find me a quoted statement saying he disrespected this mans son for his service in the armed forces.

BarneysFife

Don’t you know how the con works? He uses innuendo to smear. Like he did to Cruz’ dad suggesting he had ties to Oswald. So he attacks this gold star mother in order to make her look unworthy of “real American” reverence. He means to make them appear less human to his base by suggesting they are just those Muslim types. With zero zilch knowledge of who they are and how losing a child for this country has affected them, this cowardly man who you want to lead the free world, has sunk to the lowest you can go. It’s disgusting.

DimeStacker

exactly. Set them apart, reduce the commonalities and diminish their sacrifice so his followers can continue to be afraid of anyone different.

same old story – Divide and conquer. Works down South with blacks and poor whites, works up north too.

SPLAX

Where’s the quote? You see there is not one, just your ASSumption and to me that is the issue, not Trump. The media and you just presenting the issue this way.Your statement says very little to my asking you to show me a quoted statement he disrespected this service man, because he did not,only the media wants and printing it this way because it is bought by monies donated to HRC campaign.Did you go to the NY Times and read their article on this same topic?Go back to Mayberry.

MainelyMom

Direct quote of Mr. Trump in today’s Washington Post: “His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say,” he said. “You tell me, but plenty of people have written that. She was extremely quiet and it looked like she had nothing to say.”

The question is how could this comment by Mr. Trump in any possible way be construed as an effective response from a presidential candidate?

chris1465

He certainly disrespected the man’s parents, by suggesting that his mother was not allowed to speak at the DNC due to her Muslim faith and controlling husband.

In statements made by the family, Mrs Khan has stated she was afraid of breaking down on the stage if she began speaking about her dead child. Mr. Khan, while willing to do this, wanted his wife by his side as he did so as he described her as “my strength.” This family does not deserve to be described as being in a likely abusive relationship solely because of their religion. Some people, when seeing such a tragic and moving speech might consider including some level of empathy in their response.

MainelyMom

Completely true – I watched his speech and I viewed her as giving him the courage to address that huge crowd and say what he had to say which was so deeply and emotionally personal.

gadfly371

Gee, Barn, I served. And yes those bumper stickers do mean someting. I can almost bet you never served or you wouldn’t be making all those asinine comments. Semper Fi

BarneysFife

If you support this obvious threat to every aspect of American democracy then no your service does not mean much. Please don’t use Semper Fi in one sentence and support this kind racist unAmerican bigotry in another. It’s shameful to those who have experienced the ultimate sacrifice you diminish all who have fallen. Shame on you!

gadfly371

No, Barn, shame on you for disparaging anyone’s service.you cetainly show your true colors and they’re not pretty!

BarneysFife

Supporting Donald Trump is a black eye for all those who have served and who serve today. Shame on you.

ritchie

Semper Fi bro, the lefties here despise the military, they talk a good game, but all rings hollow.

CleanUpME

No doubt Mr. and Mrs. Khan grieve and they have every right to. Their son died a hero and he should be honored as such. Not Mr. and Mrs. Khan but their son.
Donald Trump never served in the military. Neither did Hillary or Bill Clinton or Obama. Unfortunately a couple of generations after the draft ended many of our leaders have no idea about what a soldier does let alone what he faces. That’s the problem of a professional military.
There have been Muslims in the U.S. for much longer than most of us have been alive. Most of them if you met them you’d never know they were Muslim. They hold important positions, have served in our military, and are outstanding citizens. They aren’t the issue.
The issue is admitting people, especially young males, from countries with a history of radical Islam and terrorism. We do not need to be “nice guys” and admit people who may want to destroy our country.

From his statements on the issue of admitting people from countries with a record of terrorism, he has consistently stated that he would stop them from coming here until sufficient vetting could be done and we are absolutely sure they aren’t terrorists.
Mr. Khan’s speech was sincere but he was used by the Democrats. They took one case and made it the rule for similar immigrants and it is absolutely false.
Why did they in a moment of grief allowed themselves to be used to make a point that has a minimal effect on that particular issue?

BarneysFife

Hey if you do not understand that this was a father speaking for his son and all of the other men and women who have sacrificed for this country then you must be struggling with what America means to you. It’s really sad what has happened to the GOP. It gets no lower than this.

gadfly371

Only in your illogical mind, Barn!

MainelyMom

You must have gone to the same rhetorical school as Mr. Trump.

gadfly371

At least I went to school.

Sweegert

Notice how Hillary hasn’t been attacking all the people who went after her at the RNC? She’s a grown up. Your guy is a whining self-centered little baby. Is this what you want in a president?

CleanUpME

I do think Trump spends too much time on the small potato type of thing.
I feel bad for these parents and respect their son for his sacrifice but let’s face facts this isn’t the rule. Most soldiers are native born Americans. Their son’s death wasn’t any different than any of the many other parents who have lost sons and daughters in combat.

Sweegert

Truly doesn’t it give you pause that Trump is spending too much time on small potatoes? I acknowledge Hillary’s faults but she’s not wasting time tweeting on her critics. I worry that Trump is way too thin skinned and unpredictable to be president.

chris1465

“Their son’s death wasn’t any different than any of the many other parents who have lost sons and daughters in combat.”

This is true. But Trump does not see them this way. His comment regarding Mrs. Khan is designed to remind people that despite their sons sacrifice, these people are still the scary ‘other’ that is Muslim. To Trump this sacrifice is different, it is less than, and he wants to remind his supporters of this.

Mrs. Khan has explained her not speaking as fear that she would break down while on a stage in front of a crown of thousands. Perfectly understandable to anyone with empathy, considering the topic of the speech. But to Trump and the right, it’s easier to assume and publicly state that she is being silenced by an evil overbearing Muslim husband. Trump is despicable, as are most of his supporters.

MainelyMom

Right on target and a perfectly considered translation of the event and how Trump remains tied to raising fears in American women about the Muslim culture. Interestingly many of Trump’s supporters are ‘orthodox’ evangelicals whose beliefs about a woman’s role in the family are very similar: the man is held as the head of the home and it is the woman’s role is to uphold that.

CleanUpME

Women in the Muslim culture have many more barriers than do women from evangelical Christian homes. I do realize there are some Christian sects that have similar views to the treatment of women by Muslims but they are a distinct minority.

gadfly371

Grown up? You need to grow up!

KennebunkportPatriot

Mr Khan opened his comments to the Democrats. That is the simple truth.

Want to see comments used by conservatives? See Ann Coulter.

CleanUpME

Khan could have found other forums for his comments and would have received the sympathy and kindness of most all Americans. He chose to be used to make an underhanded point by Democrats and now is the subject of controversy.
His son died a hero in his country’s service. That’s the only valid point. How many similar cases are documented? How many deaths of American citizens would have been avoided by Trump’s proposal? You can start with the 9-11 killings.

MainelyMom

UNDERHANDED?? Mr. Khan does not appear to be a man to be USED and his address was entirely direct and without equivocation which is much the same as Mr. Trump’s rhetoric. Of course the difference between the two men is their heartfelt sense of purpose.

CleanUpME

If you give a person a forum who is grieving and feels offended of course he will say what you want him to say.
I’m sure they didn’t put the words in his mouth but they knew what he would say.

gadfly371

Appearances can be deceiving!

trisailer

How would any of Trumps thoughtless proposals prevented 9-11?

He daily insults the very people entrusted to vet people entering the US and providing security.

CleanUpME

His methods would have worked because the killers would have been denied visas.

trisailer

and how do you suppose that Saudi Arabia would have responded to their citizens being denied entry to the US?
Do you remember the gas lines?
You make some dangerous assumptions if you think that these countries will not retaliate against the US policy.

CleanUpME

If we have allowed this country to erode so much that a reaction by a Saudi Arabia would harm us then we should be ashamed of ourselves.
We were handed a nation by our parents and grandparents that was second to no country and matched in the world by only the USSR. We allowed China to pass us economically and now you’re saying others would “retaliate”?
If what you say is true we’ve allowed the world to pass us as we slept. We should be ashamed.

trisailer

I don’t think that the world has passed us, but the world has come to appreciate that we can pursue our self interests through negotiation on a somewhat equal playing field.
China hasn’t passed us economically; they have more debt than we do, but keep it hidden and they also have huge corruption factors the same as Russia.
It would not take much, as we have seen, to send the global economy into a tail spin and anyone who thinks things are bad now has no clue of how bad they can quickly become.

Trump is a huge risk. He lacks even a basic notion of the complexity of the current fragile balance. We are not losing or desperate, we are the leader of the free world and we got there with thoughtful policy and thoughtful leaders.

trisailer

Nobody is admitted to the US with “a record of terrorism” nor are they admitted if anyone within several degrees of separation has anything to do with terror or any political activism.
There are thousands of State Department and UN personal who’s job it is to prevent undesirables from entering the US. There are several layers of review and years of waiting for visas.

But hey, Trump has made a lot of sacrifices.

CleanUpME

Explain the 9-11 terrorists. Explain the numerous attacks by Iraqis, Saudis, Somalian, and Iranians who have been allowed into this country. There are lists on line for you to peruse.
Apparently our methods aren’t working. Ask those who have lost family members to this garbage.

notspot

The issue is the Donald and what he said. Nothing else.

KennebunkportPatriot

I am all for bringing back the draft. Strangely, the Pentagon is against it.

gadfly371

Me, too!

Les Finesse

This veteran, and, so it is said, Liberal, supports bringing back the draft as well. Women included! Let’s face it, we’re not getting the creme de la creme with a volunteer armed services.

DimeStacker

the draft should be mandatory for all wars. No more police actions.

then maybe Congress would be forced to actually make the hard decisions about when to declare war and when to sit it out.

MainelyMom

No I’m sorry but THE ISSUE is that he has no sense of commonly held human decency or a capacity for civil discourse.

CleanUpME

NO. The issue is admitting people to the U.S. who might be a danger to us. That is plain folly.

trisailer

Many American’s wouldn’t pass the rigorous vetting process applied to refugees. In the final analysis, the percentage of refugees who would be a problem is far less than the percentage of problem American’s.
Then there is the foreign policy aspect of the refugee program and the international agreements which make up the program.
Guys like Trump don’t understand why these programs exist or the functions they serve for the larger goal of global peace. Trump just wants to use it’s imperfections to promote himself. In the process he insults the thousands of US State Department personnel and public servants around the world who are dedicated to more than their own twisted egos.

CleanUpME

Apples to oranges. Native born Americans are protected Constitutionally and are this country’s responsibility. We have law enforcement and laws to deal with crime.
On the other hand allowing foreigners into the U.S. is optional. They have no natural right to be here and it is through our graces that they can come. We have every right to choose who is allowed here.
The standard of acceptance should be higher. Americans with criminal records are not allowed in numerous countries. Americans who go to other countries cannot oppose the government and must comply with local law.
Many of our foreign policy agreements were reactionary and a result of Americans tiring of war and administrations who pandered to that. Most agreements created in that context have worked poorly for our country and people.

trisailer

If only it were that simple. Do you or Trump even know what the standard of acceptance is? Have any knowledge of foreign policy or respect for the decades of refinement of those policies?

If the objective is to prevent ISIS motivated attacks, which so far have been acted out by US citizens, than denying entry is not a solution.

SPLAX

Am not sure what is going on here.Read the NY Times story on this.Yes Trump is ‘attacking’ this speech but no where do I see or read he is dishonoring this mans son and his service to America and his fellow soldiers.His comment about his wife being there and not speaking also can be looked at the way a woman is treated by men in their culture and in our own culture. HRC would not be so wanting to put salaries of women on par with men of the same job unless we already put women on a lesser scale as a WHITE MALE.My point is that we as Americans treat women the same,subservient, do we not? Perspective people.All he is stating is he does not agree with the comment he has done nothing and made sacrifices, and insinuates that this was written by the HRC campaign to discredit him.In his mind he has sacrificed.Look more into the story,beyond what the media are headlining.

This really bother me as an American(not a supporter of Trump and am sure you all know this by now, lol) that this is the way we operate the system.This is a really good example of who and how we really are as a society and a nation of peoples.This terrible of ourselves.We treat our fellow citizens and the rest of the world just the same. This system is very broken.This is how we elect officials.

Bernie you made a huge mistake for a very little gain.The people you opposed will not give you what you wanted in the end. Continue the Revolution and join the the 3rd party….the only way a real and needed change can and will occur in our country.

Sweegert

The point, in case you missed it, is the very fact that Trump is attacking the speech. Do you see Hillary responding to all the venom directed at her during the RNC? She’s not. And that is the difference between a grown up and a baby. Look at all the venom directed at W Bush and Obama. Do you really want a president who gets all lathered up and tweets in response to criticism? What will Trump do to his critics when he actually has power? Think about it. Your freedom is at stake.

SPLAX

The counter point is the media is attacking Donald Trump for saying he has sacrificed (in his mind);you are with everyone else of the same thinking is misinterpreting what was really said and not said. It’s called political spin,paid and purchased by the HRC campaign or the DNC.

JFK

The headline doesn’t match the story? Another liberal paper afraid of a Trump win this November

funfundvierzig

The point is the dirty-playing Hillary Clinton and her handlers deployed this still grieving father and his silent wife to weaponise their son’s tragic death in a sleazy personal attack against the Republican candidate. Unfortunately the impetuous and imperial Donald Trump rose to the bait and retaliated with nearly equal sleaze.

What a nasty game of politics. Don’t the American people deserve much better?

…funfun..

Hans Bryant

Captain Khan was KIA in 2004. That was when George W. Bush was President and Colin Powell was Secretary of State.

notspot

…funfun..

See…easier to type.

Gosh…that silly ol Barack…why oh why did he invade Iraq?

…lostyouarelostyouare..

Sweegert

funfun You are being way too evenhanded here. I encourage you to recognize that Trump cannot be allowed in the White House, and to vote accordingly. The perfect should not be the enemy of the better.

notspot

“Khan, whose son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, 27, died from a suicide bombing in Baghdad 12 years ago…”

So…President Obama sent this young soldier to his death 4 years before becoming President.

…what-a-dopewhat-a-dope..

Sine Mens Rea

Epic fail

busterbulky

Trump just plain talks too much and too loosely. He shouldn’t have said anything and he should have left this soldier’s parents alone. He’s not fit to be president. I was for him but not any more.

gadfly371

Hey, I feel sorrey for a Muslim who has given his life for our country just as I would feel sorry for a Catholic, a Jew, a Protestant, and anyone else of any denomination.Singling out one over others for political gain is not right. I also know people of various relgious denominations who have committed heinous crimes. So, what was your point , DNC?

MainelyMom

The POINT is that Muslims ARE also giving their lives for this country just like “Catholic, a Jew, a Protestant, and anyone else of any denomination” and therefore should not be the subject of mass discrimination.

gadfly371

But I got that

CleanUpME

Those Muslims who serve this country are treated with respect like anyone else. It isn’t an issue.
The discussion is about allowing Muslims from countries with records of terrorist involvement. Muslims who are born and raised in the U.S. are American citizens like anyone else. No one denies that. Even Trump.

BarneysFife

Oh is that what he did respected the Kahn family? He wanted you all to chuckle that this is just one of those Muslim type families, that don’t allow women and mothers to speak. See that is what racism is. Small bullies paint people they don’t like with a broad brush to feed their followers with seeds of hate. They step back and watch it grow. You are essentially Trump’s fertilizer.

BarneysFife

Didn’t you get the memo about Muslims? Hating them is the main theme of Donald Trump’s candidacy. The Kahn’s faith is exactly what he went after to diminish their sacrifice in the minds of his followers. He plants the seed of hate and let’s his base run with it. Disgusting!

Oh buddy, it’s a tactic to gin you guys up. Don’t you get the con? He’s exploiting your weakness so that you do his dirty work for him.

gomainego

Fast forward and think about what our grand children will be reading in their school studies. Certainly isn’t a pretty picture.

ritchie

Almost as bad as LYING to grieving family members about the cause of their loved one’s demise……………..Not nearly as bad as calling said family members LIARS when they find out the true reason for their loved ones demise:

Jordan Kratz

TRump took numerous deferments to get out of doing his Duty.And he even bragged to his ignorant followers how he screwed beautiful women in NYC and did not get an STD.He wimped out as he is a foul air blower coward.
Now he attacks a grieving family whose son did do his Duty and died for this Nation.
Trump belongs in a sewer gutter.I hope he sinks the Republican Party.